Field of the Present Invention
The present invention relates generally to cable management systems for telecommunications cables, and, in particular, to vertical cable managers that may be assembled quickly and with minimal tools.
Background
Racks, frames, cabinets and the like for supporting computer and other electronic equipment are very well known. Similarly, raceways for routing cables and wires to and from that equipment are likewise well known. In particular, a number of raceways have been proposed for routing cables, wires and the like (generally referred to hereinafter as “cables”) vertically through or adjacent to equipment racks, frames, cabinets and the like (generally referred to hereinafter as “mounting fixtures”). Such raceways may be used to route cables vertically to equipment mounted or otherwise supported on a mounting fixture from other equipment on the mounting fixture, from an overhead or underfloor raceway, or the like. These cables are generally routed in the vertical direction to a point adjacent to the desired equipment and then routed in the horizontal direction to the desired equipment.
An important characteristic of such raceways is the presence of a plurality of openings in the sides of the raceway through which cables may be routed, thereby facilitating more convenient access between the equipment and the interior of the raceway. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,921,607 to Caveney, U.S. Pat. No. 3,705,949 to Weiss, commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. No. 7,119,282 to Krietzman et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 7,285,027 to McGrath et al. each disclose a covered wiring duct or wireway which includes side walls having a series of finger-like projections separated by openings. The cables may be routed through the openings by bending them around the projections, thus allowing the cables to be routed with relative precision, and preventing cables from hanging loosely across the face of the rack itself. A gap at the distal ends of each pair of adjacent projections permits cables to be inserted into each respective opening. The gap is narrower than the opening, thus aiding in the retention of the cables within the opening. The distal ends of all the projections may then be covered by a cover, thus providing further retention capability.
It is often advantageous to provide a cable raceway having a front portion and a rear portion wherein two separate channels are established, either within the raceway itself or through the use of additional accessories. In such raceways, the separate channels are commonly established by a partition or “midsection,” often with passthrough openings therein. Until recently, such products utilized a fixed midsection that is attached to the vertical side rails in one position only. The fixed midsection provides strength and rigidity to the total structure. One downside of a fixed midsection is that it reduces cable capacity. Furthermore, installers find it difficult to position cables front-to-back, and lashing bars and spools are not flexibly available. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,220,150 to Follingstad et al. discloses the use of spools, but the positions of the spools are relatively fixed.
More recently, more flexible midsections have been provided. For example, midsection members that are vertically and horizontally repositionable and horizontally adjustable have been proposed in commonly-assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/350,216 to Garza et al. However, assembling and disassembling vertical cable managers using such midsection members is time-consuming and requires the use of tools, and the components themselves are expensive to manufacture. Furthermore, such cable managers and/or their components are bulky, making shipment more costly and otherwise problematic. Thus, a need exists for an improved vertical cable manager.